Inevitable
by 1-800fangirl
Summary: *CONTAINS AVENGERS ENDGAME SPOILERS* Janet van Dyne knew there was a chance she would not be able to restore Stark's hand that wore the gauntlet, but she could keep his soul in his body. What good was the ability to heal if she didn't use it? Time was ticking. (An Endgame Fix-It.)


**I've seen Endgame twice now, and it definitely hurt twice as much seeing it the second time. I have a lot of issues with the film regarding characterization and plotholes, and definitely regarding overall character arcs. Thus, I decided to write a better, ****_happier_**** ending.**

**I also want you guys to know that I am not discontinuing **_Hair Dye_**; I still adore Iron Dad and Spider Son and will continue writing it. Some future fics may even take place in this post-Endgame AU that I create here. But enough rambling.**

**Enjoy!**

xXxXxXx

"And I... am Iron Man."

The following _snap_ of armored fingers against each other echoed across the battlefield, stunning the ongoing fighters into silence.

Janet van Dyne found herself glancing desperately across the area, trying to find the one who called himself 'Iron Man.' She understood the power that had rippled through all of them. She knew the damage it would do. She could _help_ him, if given enough time.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Hank asked, pulling her away from one of Thanos's soldiers as he - it? - crumbled to ash in front of them.

"I can save him, Hank," she pleaded, clutching his hand between both of hers. "I know I can! Each of those stones has traveled through the Quantum Realm, they are now _connected_ to the Quantum Realm. I can heal him!"

"Heal who?" Hank demanded. "Stark?"

"If that is his name, then yes." Janet turned around to see that Hope now stood beside her. "Please take me to him, Jelly Bean. There isn't much time."

Hope nodded, flicking her mask down and lifting her mother up, the wings of her suit straining but carrying them quickly enough across the battlefield.

Or so Janet prayed.

Time was of the essence. She knew there was a chance she would not able to restore Stark's hand that wore the gauntlet, but she could keep his soul in his body. What good was the ability to heal if she didn't use it?

Hope landed her behind a small crowd who had gathered in front of the legendary Tony Stark. As tempted as Janet was to push her way to the front and heal him immediately, she waited. And she watched.

A young boy with brown hair was kneeling in front of the armored man. Even from a distance Janet could see how the dust and blood coated on his face was streaked with tears.

"Hey, Mr. Stark, we won," the kid choked out, reaching towards the man before pulling away. "We won, Mr. Stark! You did it. You did it." The kid furiously rubbed his eyes. "Tony, please don't go..."

Janet felt a lump form in her throat. The child's actions reminded her so much of Hope, when she had been younger. Or perhaps it hurt too much to imagine Hope in the boy's place.

A young woman with fading red hair and wearing armor similar to Stark's gently pulled the boy away, taking his place in front of whom Janet presumed was her husband.

"Hey, Pep," Stark coughed. Blood trickled down out of the corner of his mouth.

"Shh. Don't speak, honey," she murmured, touching his cheek with her thumb. "You've done it." She brushed the dirt and blood from his forehead before leaning and kissing him on the cheek. Janet didn't fail to notice the grief in her eyes, as much as the woman tried to put on a brave face. "We'll be okay. You can finally rest."

Janet's own heart skipped a beat as the arc reactor in Stark's chest flickered before going out. Unable to stop herself, she pushed through the crowd and dropped to her knees in front of the famed hero. "I can heal him," she begged. "Please, if you will allow me to, I can." She placed her hand on his chest. "He is still alive. He is dying, but he is not yet dead."

The red-haired woman seemed at a loss for words, her eyes wide as she remained frozen.

"Please heal him!" the boy from earlier pleaded, grabbing her arm as he choked back a sob. "Please!" He shook his head, whether it was intentional or not Janet couldn't tell. "I can't lose another dad. I can't. Not again. Not like this. _Please_."

Janet turned back to Stark's wife, who was covering her mouth with her hand in shock as silent tears fell down her cheeks. "With your permission."

The woman breathed a shuddering gasp, then nodded. "Yes. Save him."

"Rest doesn't have to mean death, Pep," a dark-skinned man murmured, pulling Stark's wife into a tight hug. "He deserves to rest with _you_, and with Morgan. He deserves the future you've always wanted."

Janet took that as her cue, placing her hands on Stark's heart. Her hands glowed with a golden light as she channeled everything, _everything_ she had into revitalizing a man who _needed_ to live. There was no question. As soon as his heartbeat was steady, she transferred her concentration to the man's arm and the side of his face. She numbed the pain and stabilized his nervous system to the best of her ability. There wasn't much she could do about the physical state of his skin. That was beyond her abilities.

But she could keep him _alive_.

And that – that was enough.

xXxXxXx

"So he's going to make it?"

The doctor nodded, and Pepper fell into Rhodey's arms, unable to stop tears from escaping for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Rhodey murmured soothing words as he gently rubbed her back.

Peter likewise found himself being hugged tightly by May. "He's going to live, May!" he sobbed into her chest. "Oh my God, he's going to live."

"It was the treatment he was given before he came to us that likely saved his life, however," the doctor continued. "In truth, perhaps the only thing we did was use the research left to us by Dr. Cho to heal his face, and manipulated the quantum particles provided by Janet van Dyne to finish restoring his nerves there. But he _will_ live, and for a long time, at that." The doctor smiled. "He's very fortunate to have people who care about him so much."

"Can we see him now?" Pepper asked, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

The doctor hesitated, their smile disappearing. "I'm afraid not. While we are quite certain that Mr. Stark will survive, he is still sedated from surgery. You will have to wait until visiting hours reopen later."

The blood drained from Pepper's face. "Surgery? What surgery?"

"We tried our best to save his right arm, but the damage was just too extensive. His nervous system appeared to have been mostly healed, somehow, but his muscles were shredded beyond repair." The doctor winced. "I apologize if my language is insensitive. I simply do not wish to give you a false impression. We had to amputate."

Silence fell among the group. It was broken when Rhodey chuckled.

"Sorry, sorry," he said as Pepper stared at him in a mixture of shock and horror. "I was just thinking that it'll finally be my turn to help Tony. Like how he helped me." His fingers brushed his leg braces.

The doctor smiled warmly at the group. "Mr. Stark will need _all_ of your help. And I believe you are all quite qualified to provide it. That is the exact reason I am sure he will live a very long and very happy life." They shifted their clipboard to beneath their arm. "If you have no other questions, I will be on my way."

"When can we see him?" Peter blurted out. "If not now, when? When do visiting hours reopen?"

"Hmm," the doctor mused. "Well, visiting hours don't reopen until tomorrow. But I would estimate he will wake a few hours from now. But I can find my superiors and ask for a more exact time, if you'd like, and see if they'll let you visit early. They often do that for extreme scenarios."

"Yes, that would be much appreciated," Pepper said. "Thank you."

The doctor nodded. "I'll be back the moment you're allowed entry." With that, they walked away.

May ran a hand through Peter curls before kissing the top of his head. "Not to jinx us, but we're very lucky, aren't we?"

Rhodey reached out and pulled both May and Peter into a tight hug with him and Pepper. "Yes. Yes we are."

xXxXxXx

"I'll have to write a hundred – no, a thousand – thank you notes to Ms. Van Dyne," Pepper said as she reached up and stretched. The hard plastic of the hospital chair wasn't good for her back, especially after three hours. "We are indebted to her for life."

"I can't help but wonder if Pym will gloat about that for as long as possible," Rhodey chuckled. "Only in good humor, of course."

Pepper shrugged, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth for the first time in what felt like years. "I doubt I'd mind if he did." Pepper's gaze shifted to Peter, who had fallen fast asleep after the first twenty minutes of waiting, his head resting on May's shoulder. "He must be exhausted."

May gave Pepper a soft smile. "Yes. But he's not the only one. Have you considered trying to rest, Ms. Potts? God knows you need it."

"Please, call me Pepper. I think we've reached that level of closeness." She sighed. "I know I should rest. But I can't. Not without seeing him."

May nodded. "I understand."

All heads turned at the sound of approaching footsteps from down the hall. It was Happy, holding the hand of a little girl with dark brown hair, both making their way towards the group.

"Morgan," Pepper breathed, standing from her chair and rushing over to her daughter. She knelt down and pulled her into a tight hug, kissing the top of her head. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

Morgan nodded, even though she was squished in her mother's embrace. "Yes. Where's Daddy?"

"He's resting right now, in that room over there," Pepper said, lifting up Morgan as she stood and gesturing towards the room where her husband was sleeping. "We're waiting for him to wake up."

Morgan nodded, not speaking as she contented herself with twisting and braiding her mother's long hair.

Pepper returned to her seat, and Happy sat down in the chair opposite her.

"Any updates?" he asked.

"Not many," Rhodey said. "But we do know that he's going to make it."

Happy breathed a sigh of relief, his hand moving to his heart. "Oh, thank God."

"And we know that he'll look as handsome as he did before," Rhodey continued, a small smirk dancing on his lips. "Apparently over the past five years they've been able to replicate the progress Dr. Cho made in 'growing' flesh." His smirk faded. "But they weren't able to recover his arm."

Happy winced. "Is a prosthetic at least possible?"

Rhodey shrugged. "The doctor didn't say. But knowing Tony, I'm sure he'll create something. I have a feeling he may stop being Iron Man, but he could never stop building. Inventions are a part of him."

Peter sat up, startling the adults around him. Sweat beaded his forehead, and he was gasping like no air was getting in his lungs.

"Hey, baby, what's wrong?" May asked, shifting herself so she was facing her nephew. "Did something happen? Was it a dream?"

Peter's breathing slowly evened, but he clenched his eyes shut. "It felt..." He coughed, causing his body to shudder. "It felt so real." He glanced up at May. "I saw – I saw Mr. Stark, I saw him –" He choked up, unable to continue.

"Oh, Peter." May pulled him into a hug. "It was just a dream. I promise."

Peter buried his face into his aunt's shoulder, unable to respond.

Pepper hesitated, then adjusted how she was holding Morgan as she moved next to Peter. "There's someone I'd like you to meet, kid," she said gently. "But only if you want to."

Peter gripped his aunt's shoulder tightly, but then relaxed his body and turned his attention to Pepper. The moment he did so his eyes widened. "Is she...?"

Pepper chuckled. "Peter Parker, I'd like you to meet Morgan Stark."

At the sound of her name, Morgan's focus drifted away from braiding her mother's hair to the teenager sitting in front of her.

"Morgan, you remember Peter, right?" Pepper asked. "Daddy told you a lot of stories about him."

Morgan beamed. One of her front teeth was missing. "Spider-Man!"

Tears welled in Peter's eyes, but he rubbed them away, smiling at the girl. "That's me."

Morgan held her arms out for him to take her, but Peter hesitated, looking towards Pepper for permission. Pepper nodded and carefully handed her child into the teen's shaking arms.

Peter's face was pale as he situated Morgan in his lap, but his brown eyes glimmered with a mixture of happiness and hope. Morgan fiddled with Peter's collar, a satisfied smile on her lips.

"So, your dad has told you stuff about me?" Peter asked, grinning at the child and ruffling her hair. "I'm flattered."

Morgan nodded. "Mhm! He says Spider-Man is the best superhero ever. He told me a story about how Spider-Man saved New York from a evil villain who looked like a robot-vulture by crashing a whole plane!" She frowned. "He also said that Spider-Man would stay out past his bedtime and that I shouldn't do that."

Peter snickered, not noticing how with his laughter came a lightening of everyone's mood in the room. "Well, sometimes bedtimes have to be ignored in pursuit of justice."

Morgan giggled, and the two quickly became lost in exchanging short, silly stories about Spider-Man and his clumsy sidekick, Iron Man.

Happy and Rhodey became engaged in a conversation about some TV show. Pepper turned to talk to May, but paused when she realized the woman's attention was glued to Peter. After a moment, she reached out and placed her hand on May's shoulder.

"That's why, isn't it?" May murmured. "For them."

Pepper watched as Peter started to braid Morgan's hair, both grinning from ear to ear. She found herself smiling. "Yes. That's why."

xXxXxXx

"You're allowed to see him now."

The five shot up from their seats almost in unison. Peter nearly dropped Morgan.

The doctor held up their hands to prevent the group from rushing in. "But not all at once. And for no longer than twenty minutes in total. Understand?"

"Yes," Pepper said, taking the initiative. "We understand. Thank you for letting us know."

The doctor nodded. "Alright. I'll be back in around half an hour. I'm trusting you not to exhaust him, or else higher-ups will have my head."

"Of course," Pepper reassured them. "Again, thank you for everything."

The doctor hesitated, but nodded a second time and left.

"You can see him first, Happy," Pepper said. "I know you're itching to get back to SI."

A guilty look formed on Happy's face. "Yes, but I shouldn't – it should be you –"

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Go ahead, Happy."

"I'll join you," Rhodey said, clapping him on the shoulder. "I was supposed to be back at the pseudo-compound two hours ago."

Pepper nodded, stepping aside and allowing the two to enter.

Rhodey made sure to pull the door shut behind him, unsure how much bright light Tony should or should not be exposed to. He hadn't thought to ask the doctor. "Hey, Tones," he said, sitting in the chair on his friend's right side, Happy taking the one on the left. "Forgive me for the awkward icebreaker, but how's it going?"

Tony was sitting up in the hospital bed, although not at a 90 degree angle. He managed a laugh, somehow, despite the tubes in his arms – arm. His arm. "Oh, not bad, honeybear. All things considered."

"Maybe this is a premature question, but how does it feel to be the person who saved the entire universe and lived to tell the tale?" Happy asked.

Tony shrugged, which looked... odd with only one arm. "Not sure how much credit goes to me, really. Banner brought everyone back. Carol beat Thanos into the dirt. Steve wielding Mjolnir and Thor with Stormbreaker took out half of the enemy army. The Wakandans gave us the numerical edge. Nat..." He trailed off, and the room was silent. "Nat got us the Soul Stone. It was all of us who won. Together."

"Yeah, yeah." Rhodey rolled his eyes. "Pulled back from the brink of death after saving _everyone_, yet somehow modest?" He smirked. "That's not the Tony Stark I know."

Tony laughed, and his shoulders relaxed for the first time since the two had entered. "I would apologize, but I bet that's _also_ too modest for you, isn't it?"

"Damn right." Rhodey wiped tears from his eyes. He hadn't realized he'd started to cry. He stood, leaning over the hospital bed and pulling Tony into a tight hug, somehow managing to not pull the IVs out of his friend's arm. "God, I'm so glad you're alive."

"It's because this time, I rode with you," Tony replied, his voice muffled in Rhodey's shoulder.

"And you're going to keep riding with me." Rhodey released his friend, giving him as brave a smile as he could muster. "Pepper's going to call me the moment you get out of the hospital, and I'm gonna rush over so we can ride back together. Got it?"

Tony nodded, grinning. "Roger that, Colonel."

Rhodey snorted. "Right." He saluted his friend. "See you later, then."

Tony saluted in response. "Forgive me for not using my right hand."

Rhodey said nothing for fear of his voice breaking. He nodded before stepping out the door.

Happy stood from his chair, moving next to the bed. He offered his hand, and Tony took it. "Get well soon, Boss. SI employees miss those occasional visits from you. There's a stack of cards waiting for you at your room in the tower."

Tony chuckled. "Understood."

As Happy left the room, May stepped in.

"Ms. Parker," Tony said, surprised. "Is Peter here?"

"He's outside. I just wanted to thank you in person."

Tony frowned. "Thank me for what?"

"For taking care of Peter. And for bringing him back to me. Five years without him..." Tears lined the corners of May's eyes, and she gave him a sad smile. "I'll admit that I've never been a big fan of you, Stark, but..." She shook her head. "You've given me my world back. And God knows I can't thank you enough for that."

Tony offered May a soft smile. "Thank you for sharing your world with me."

May laughed, wiping away her tears. "It's the least I can do. I'm sure Peter's already made plans to visit your new place over the summer." She glanced at her watch. "I'll let you see Peter now. You've only been given twenty minutes of visitor time, and eight of them have now been used."

May left the hospital room to see Peter trying and failing to return Morgan to his mother's arms.

"No!" Morgan shouted, clinging tightly to Peter. "I don't wanna go! I wanna stay with Pete!"

Peter flinched at her words. "Morgan, your mom will be mad at me if I keep you for too long. She wants to hang out with you, too, you know."

Morgan buried her face in Peter's neck. "I don't care!"

Pepper laughed. "Alright, Morgan. Don't worry. You can stay with your brother." She didn't fail to notice how Peter flushed bright red at her words. "But I do need you to loosen your grip on Peter, okay? You don't want to choke him."

Morgan did as instructed, though she didn't let go completely.

"Tony's waiting for you," May said to her nephew, holding the door open. "He misses both of you very much." She shut the door after the two entered.

"A visit from both his children." Pepper smiled. "Every father's joy."

xXxXxXx

"H-Hey Mr. Stark," Peter stammered. He flinched as the door was pulled shut behind him. "Uh... How's it going?"

"Daddy!" Morgan said excitedly, reaching forward and nearly causing Peter to fall over.

Tony laughed at the sight. He shifted slightly on his bed, making more room on his right side. "You can let her sit here, Pete."

Peter nodded and carefully set Morgan down next to her father. The fact that he was placing her down in the space where Tony's right arm used to be was almost nauseating. He then grabbed a chair and pulled it up next to his mentor's bed on the other side before sitting down.

Morgan contented herself with playing with the sheets of the hospital bed. The fact that her father lacked a right arm did not seem to concern her.

Peter was impressed.

"I missed you, kid."

Peter stiffened when Tony broke the silence. "I - uh, thank you?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "What are you thanking me for now?"

"For saving the universe! And bringing me back! And... And all that stuff."

Tony hesitated, then said, "I know this really isn't what you want to be asked right now, but do you... Do you remember what happened? On Titan?"

"Sort of." Peter bit his lip, shrugging. "I mean, it feels like it was only yesterday for me. But you're asking about when I disappeared... Right?"

Tony nodded.

"Yeah." Peter sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I remember. My body felt like it was numb and on fire at the same time, and then it started to crumble and I could just – just _feel _myself fading, and, and –" He stopped, covering his mouth with his hand. He shook his head. "I'm – I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Tony reached out and brushed away the tears falling down Peter's cheeks.

Peter hadn't even realized he'd started crying.

"Kid, I'm the one who's sorry," Tony whispered. "It never should have been you."

Peter wanted to protest, wanted to tell him that there was nothing he could have done, wanted to remind him that there was only _one_ future in which Thanos could be defeated and they were living in it, but he couldn't. No words would come. Instead, all he could do was lean over and sob into the chest of the man he dared not call a father for fear of losing him. Tony's arm was wrapped around him in an even tighter hug than they'd shared on the battlefield.

They remained that way for several minutes. Peter's sobs only started to quiet when Morgan joined in on the group hug, petting her almost-brother's hair and telling him it would be okay and that it was okay to cry.

"I love you 3000, Peter!"

Peter sniffled as he slowly sat up. He was sure his eyes were red. "I think Morgan gets her comforting skills from Ms. Potts."

Tony laughed, and Peter noticed that his mentor, too, had been crying. "I think you're right."

Peter glanced at the clock on the wall. "I have to go now. I know you want to talk to Ms. Potts before they shut down your visiting time." He stood, and started to move towards the door. He stumbled as Morgan reached out and grabbed his arm. "And I guess I'll be taking your daughter with me, Mr. Stark," he added, laughing as he picked Morgan up. "But we'll both come visit again later."

Tony nodded, then raised an eyebrow. "Wait, 'Mr. Stark'? I thought we were on a first-name basis now."

Peter shook his head. "Nah. That was a near-death scenario. You haven't earned that right from me in everyday conversation."

Tony gasped in mock-offense, but his face soon shifted into a genuine grin. "Alright, kid. We'll see how long that attitude lasts."

Peter didn't say anything as he left, instead winking before nudging the door shut with his foot behind him.

Tony didn't have to wait long before Pepper joined him.

"Hey Ms. Potts," he greeted as she sat in the chair Peter had previously occupied. He noticed the tearstains on her cheeks. "Mm, did you miss me? Cry a few tears for your long-lost husband?"

Pepper managed a laugh. "Tears of joy. I could never get remarried."

"Well, neither could I."

There was a pause before Pepper spoke. "So what do you think about Peter and Morgan?"

Tony snickered. "Oh, I think I'm going to hire him as much as possible for babysitting."

"Well, we both know that will backfire." Pepper smirked. "You won't want to leave the house if the both of them are there."

Tony tilted his head, as if contemplating her words. Then he grinned. "Okay, yeah. You're right."

"Mhm. Aren't I always?"

Tony beckoned her. "Come here."

Pepper rolled her eyes, but she knew exactly what he wanted. She leaned forward and kissed him, running a hand through his hair and ignoring how his beard scratched her face. God, she missed him. When she pulled away, she couldn't help but laugh at his goofy smile. "I take it you're a bit touch-starved?"

"Only in the purest of senses."

"Right."

Tony glanced at his right arm - or rather, where it used to be. "No more Iron Man, huh?"

Pepper leaned back in her chair and gave him a soft smile. "You don't have to hide it. I know that fact doesn't upset you as much as you think it should." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's okay to want to rest, Tony. You're getting old. I think a life of retirement will suit you."

Tony snorted. "Wow, you think I'm getting old? That hurts, Pep."

"Hey." Pepper reached out and intertwined her fingers with his. "At least we'll grow old together."

"You always know exactly what to say, don't you?"

"One of us has to."

Tony stared at his wife. Then he sighed. "You're all I have, Pep."

Pepper released his hand as she stood up, shaking her head. "No. You have so much more than just me. You know that." She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "I'll be back to visit as soon as I can. You need to get some rest."

Tony chuckled. "Yes, Dr. Potts."

Pepper laughed before leaving the room, making sure to close the door behind her.

Peter was now playing a game of hangman with Morgan. May was watching and whispering letters in Morgan's ear as Peter pretended to be angry about it.

"You know, I'm pretty sure this is cheating."

"Mm, I don't think so."

"The word is 'heart'!" Morgan said, giggling. "Heart, heart!"

Peter sighed. "Darn. You got it again." He ruffled her hair. "You're way too good at this, Morgan."

"Okay, my turn!" Morgan took the paper and pencil from him, drawing four and then three blank spaces. "Guess a letter."

"E," Peter said.

"Nope!" Morgan drew a circle. "Guess again."

"A," May offered.

Morgan beamed and wrote an 'a' in the second-to-last blank. "Yep!"

May snickered as Peter pouted.

"I," Pepper said, joining the trio.

Morgan wrote an 'i' in the first blank. "Mhm!"

Peter, May, and Pepper all exchanged knowing glances.

"Iron Man," Peter guessed, a soft smile tugging at his cheeks.

Morgan laughed, filling in the rest of blanks. "Yes! You're so smart, Peter!"

Pepper watched with a smile dancing on her lips as Peter started tickling Morgan, May laughing as she stepped out of the way. After five years, her family was whole again. And soon, the love of her life would be able to join them.

At the back of her mind, she feared that the day would come when she might lose it all again. In the blink of an eye.

But in her heart, she knew this present, this happiness, this _warmth_ – it was inevitable.

And she wouldn't have it any other way.

xXxXxXx

**A few things: I 100% forgot that Helen Cho is ****_not_**** dead, so oops on my part for writing her like she was. Someone also called me out for not including Harley, so I apologize for that! He just doesn't spring to mind immediately for me when I think of the Iron Fam.**

**That all being said, I hope you enjoyed! If you're looking for some fluff to recover from Endgame, go read **_Hair Dye_** – my collection of Iron Dad and Spider Son oneshots. I'm working on a new one as I type this, lol. It may not be finished until the end of the school year, but I'm doing my best.**

**Until next time! I love all my readers 3000.**


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